{"id":2448389,"date":"2019-09-05T21:50:43","date_gmt":"2019-09-06T03:50:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/?p=880239"},"modified":"2019-09-05T21:50:43","modified_gmt":"2019-09-06T03:50:43","slug":"the-best-snare-drums-for-beginners-and-professionals-alike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/music-news\/the-best-snare-drums-for-beginners-and-professionals-alike\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Snare Drums for Beginners and Professionals Alike"},"content":{"rendered":"

This article is a part of RS Recommends<\/a>, an editorial series reviewing products in music and entertainment. Items are independently selected; Penske Media may earn a commission from purchases made from our links.<\/em><\/p>\n

What would The Beatles be without Ringo Starr or Rush without Neil Peart? While the two are now celebrated as legendary songwriters and producers, they first won acclaim behind a drum kit, known as much for their steady flow as they were for their percussive powers (see: Rush\u2019s \u201cTom Sawyer\u201d<\/a> or The Beatles\u2019 1966 B-side, \u201cRain,\u201d<\/a> for proof).<\/p>\n

These days, everyone from Questlove to Travis Barker continue to impress on the cans, though more and more amateur musicians and enthusiasts are taking on the drums as well. Just look at the number of drum sets you see at your local high school recital, or the street performers rattling off insane drum solos in front of astonished crowds. A set of drums, it seems, isn\u2019t just about creating music, but also about giving yourself permission to let loose and have a little fun.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s what Mike Sleath, believes, at least. Sleath, a Toronto-based drummer who\u2019s been part of Shawn Mendes\u2019 touring band since 2015, says drumming for him is about bringing people together. \u201cMy uncle is a drummer and he really showed me early on how fun it is to play music,\u201d Sleath says. \u201cWhen I first started all I had was a pair of sticks, and I would build drum sets out of pillows and boxes,\u201d he continues. \u201cStill, I\u2019ve always loved the idea of using drums to work with other people and creating something together.\u201d<\/p>\n

While a set of boxes will hold up to light stick work, a basic drum kit these days should include a kick drum, toms, hi-hat, crash cymbal, ride cymbal and most important, a snare drum. \u201cThe snare,\u201d Sleath explains, \u201cis the backbeat. In genres like rock and pop it normally lands on beats two and four, and it really helps to set the tempo and feel of the song. It\u2019s definitely the meat and potatoes of the drumset.\u201d<\/p>\n

From leading armies into battle to keeping a drumline in formation, snare drums have been used for centuries, as a way of keeping people in line (literally) to rattling off some excitement for a big parade or event. Before they pull a winning lottery ticket or a winning name from an envelope, you hear a drum roll from a snare drum. And some of today\u2019s most popular songs \u2014 regardless of genre \u2014 find their groove thanks to the snappy snare.<\/p>\n

When buying a snare drum, it\u2019s important to consider the and the material used to make the shell. Most snare drums have shells made from either wood or metal. Generally speaking, wooden snare drums sound light and bright, while an aluminum snare, say, tends to be louder. You\u2019ll also want to consider the width of the drum: the wider the drum, the fatter the sound. These days, 14-inch snare drums are the most common.<\/p>\n

\u201cSound,\u201d Sleath explains, \u201cis the most important part. \u201cWhen someone says a snare is out of tune it normally speaks to an uneven tension around the drums, and\/or the top and bottom head aren\u2019t nicely tensioned together. Unlike most melodic instruments though,\u201d he continues, \u201cthere\u2019s not necessarily a right or wrong way to tune a drum. A drum doesn\u2019t need to be tuned to a specific note (unless the drum is acting as the melodic element) and it doesn\u2019t need to be any specific pitch. You can tune it and dampen it in anyway you think sounds good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Unless you\u2019re a professional musician though, Sleath says it\u2019s okay sometimes to just pick up a snare drum and let it rip. \u201cDrums are incredibly fun,\u201d he asserts. \u201cThe struggle of trying to learn an instrument is so rewarding, but then with drums you [also] get to hit things and just be loud!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

1. GP Percussion SK22 Complete Student Snare Drum Kit<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re looking for a solid beginner\u2019s kit or something to practice on, you can\u2019t go wrong with this set from GP Percussion. The set includes a 10 lug snare drum, a double brace stand, practice pad and drum sticks. It also includes a handy storage bag and a drum key.<\/p>\n

The standard-sized drum measures 14-inches and comes wrapped in a handsome metal finish. The padded, nylon backpack comes with shoulder straps and a carry handle to give you multiple carrying options (note: the snare weighs 13 pounds so it\u2019s not exactly lightweight).<\/p>\n

PROS<\/strong>: Authentic look and feel with consistent sound quality that\u2019s clean and not \u201ctinny.\u201d<\/p>\n

CONS<\/strong>: Some users say the stand is a little short.<\/p>\n

\"best-snare-drum-beginners\"<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Amazon<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

2. Mendini Student Snare Drum Set<\/h2>\n

Users say this Mendini snare drum is a \u201cbig hit\u201d (pun intended) and they\u2019re not wrong. The 14-inch x 5.5-inch snare drum delivers crisp, clean sound no matter where your drum sticks land on the head. And they say the sound stays consistent even after years of use.<\/p>\n

The drum weighs 16 pounds, which is heavier than some of the other models on our list, but the extra heft also makes this a sturdy set to play on. When resting on the stand, you don\u2019t have to worry about any shifting or movement.<\/p>\n

The included stand extends up to 30-inches, so you can choose to play while seated or standing. This set includes a rubber practice pad, sticks, storage bag and adjustable neck-strap (say, if you\u2019re playing the drum in a marching band or drumline).<\/p>\n

PROS<\/strong>: The stand is adjustable so you can play the drum seated or standing; included one-year warranty protects against any manufacturer\u2019s defects.<\/p>\n

CONS<\/strong>: A drum key is not included, so you\u2019ll need to buy one to tune the drum head.<\/p>\n

\"best<\/p>\n

Courtesy Amazon<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

3. Evans Hydraulic Red-Coated Snare<\/h2>\n

Just like any instrument, different drums produce different sounds. To really control the tone from your snare drum, you\u2019ll want to invest in a drum head.<\/p>\n

This highly-rated drum head gets you some extra oomph on your snare drum, with fat, full sound and little to no ringing. Drummers say the sound snaps off the snare with minimal sustain, giving off a tight and sprightly vibe reminiscent of 70s rock and roll, and drum tracks from albums by Tom Petty and ELO.<\/p>\n

Evans says their patented UV-cured coating provides durability and consistency (the sound won\u2019t change over time), while a thin layer of oil between two plies of film on the drum head helps to suppress unwanted overtones.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking to turn a generic snare into a performance-worthy piece, you\u2019ll want to pick this up. All Evans drum heads are made in the USA. Also available in black and Blue versions<\/p>\n

PROS<\/strong>: Drum heads are easy to tune and switch out.<\/p>\n

CONS<\/strong>: This is just the drum head. You\u2019ll still need the rest of the drum to start playing.<\/p>\n

\"best-drum-head\"<\/p>\n

Courtesy Amazon<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

via:: Rolling Stone<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This article is a part of RS Recommends, an editorial series reviewing products in music and entertainment. Items are independently selected; Penske Media may earn a commission from purchases made from our links. What would The Beatles be without Ringo Starr or Rush without Neil Peart? While the two are now celebrated as legendary songwriters […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[50],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2448389","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-music-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-27 09:02:24","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley's Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2448389","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2448389"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2448389\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2448389"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2448389"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2448389"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}